Nope I just got a 2009 Ford Escape Hybrid. It's out now, I get over 35 mpg and Still got the 3,000$ tax credit....

P.S. Don't forget you still pay 40,000$ until you do your taxes the year you buy it.....

All of the first buyers sre going to "Beta" test and be Chevrolet's R & D for this prototype release. Why spen soo much money on this when a Toyota or Honda is $13,000 cheaper? The rebate was designe solely for the volt because Chevy can not compete by itself agains foreign hybrids. So the government decided to help the good ol boys by passing a tax credit with the specs of the Volt. That's right, obviously the cost is from the high paid UAW workers and the government has to compensate!
Puuhhllleeees!

"That's right, obviously the cost is from the high paid UAW workers"

Guess what. Its idiots like you that got us in this economic mess in the first place. You guys love to cut costs by cutting the throats of the people you expect to buy your products. Any of you brainiacs ever wonder how people are going to afford their house and car payments if all the jobs that make that pay for that are sent oversees or "downsized" into low-paying junk jobs?

And how stupid is for the same people who scream "buy amurican" to be the same onces crying about high-paying AMERICAN jobs? You guys want us to be competitive with sweatshops...well guess what, the people working in the REAL sweatshops don't drive home, let alone finance cars.

Talking bout my fascination with cars, somehow I love the style of Chevy volt especially the concept performance.. Second choice would be the Buick Enclave.

The bailout plan also includes laws which require inscribed entities to become socially owned companies (aka, "Socialism).

Have fun, America.

As for you cynics, you have to admit that such cars, even though they're not perfect (and which vehicles are?) are a step in the right direction for this country. Or would you rather have our transportation technology regressing backwards to an imaginary time when everything was just peaches and cream for you, while our allies enjoy better-made vehicles in the here and now? Your cynicisms, "chickenshet" serves no one except your pitiful ego. I myself may not necessarily choose to buy the Volt because I don't know enough about it, but it does look a lot better than the other low emissions models I've seen so far.

YES I'M YELLING! "THE ONLY CAR WITH A 4KWH BATTERY" TESLA! YOU MORON! TESLA! THE VOLT WILL ONLY GO 40 MILES ON A CHARGE! TESLA WILL DO 250!

Why all the fuss? Zap has been making electric cars and much less expensive ones for quite a while now. In fact, they just started a plant in Kentucky. How American can you get? Check it out at zapworld.com

Lease.

The "cars" from ZAP are licensed as motorcycles, not cars. Most have very limited speed and only 25 miles of range. The lead-acid batteries they use are very inefficient and heavy. I'm not knocking these cars - at $12k they have a place, but they are not in the same category as the Volt, Prius, etc. There are lots of companies which make glorified golf carts (including some known car makers) and try to pass them off as "cars", but they don't compare for the same reasons.

while it looks cool and all, 40 miles max distance on one charge is not worth 40K!

Heck no, I still have my SUV and drive it everyday, but it's paid off. I hate paying for high gas prices, but heck, 40,000 is a lot of fill ups. Make one a lot cheaper and I'd do it.

The Chevy Volt and the Chevy Camaro are Vaporware. The Camaro has been talked about for the last 4 years but no car, now its just not practical so guess what???? No car. Volt, hell chevy killed it in the 80s so why would they bring it out again?

It may only get 40 miles per charge, but what this article is leaving out an important detail. The Volt will include a small gasoline power engine that will be used solely to recharge the batteries to keep the electric motors turning the wheels. For 8 gallons of gas, youo can go for 400 miles, or so the specs say.

by the way, "checkenshet", while UAW workers are highly paid, the governments of foreign countries like Japan and Germany subsidize their automotive industry. they basically PAY the car companies to make cars.

and to "dlstephenson", GM killed electric cars in the 80's because the market wasn't there. why build something if no one wants to buy it?

This is taken dirrectly from Chevy...."Unlike traditional electric cars, Chevy Volt has a revolutionary propulsion system that takes you beyond the power of the battery. It will use a lithium-ion battery with a variety of range-extending onboard power sources, including gas and, in some vehicles, E85 ethanol(3) to recharge the battery while you drive beyond the 40-mile battery range. And when it comes to being plugged in, Chevy Volt will be designed to use a common household plug." But if it is plugged in at home...what generates your electricity at home FOSSIL FUELS!!!

Ok, so great plan to make super environment saving cars cost an arm and a leg. I personally see the price tag of these energy efficient cars and it makes me want to dig my 67' T-Bird outta moth balls and guzzle a couple gallons of gas cruzin 2 blocks. I'll save the environment after I make my house and electrical payment.

Well, folks, I'm not sure about what MIGHT happen, or what COULD be developed, given ONLY a breakthrough in battery technology. What I CAN tell you is that I'm REALLY enjoying my new, used, original Honda Insight. I AM getting 70+ MPG (mostly highway), and my 10.6-gallon tank gives me nearly a 700-mile crusing range! Given how long Honda's last, I expect the car to pay for itself before I give up on it. Sure, some may whine about eventual battery replacement costs, but there's no timing belt, folks, so over the next, say, 200,000 miles (I bought used at 100,000 miles), how many timing belt changes will you need on your car? That's right, probably 3 or 4, at 90,000 or even 60,000 miles per change. Add those up, compare to a hybrid battery replacement, and it's close enough to a wash to stop worrying about it. One good thing, Honda will be moving forward with the IMA (Integrated Motor Assist) technology they used in my Insight (produced from 2000-2006 in the US), using the same "stuff" in the new Insight. Too bad we all didn't go for the original 2-seater Insight, because that's probably the last of the long-range, high-mileage cars we'll see for a while. The Volt? Good luck - we shall see...

I'm wondering if due to the economic downturn we're in right now GM Will even bother trying to sell these. Or if GM will even exist in the next 6 months :)

I think that maybe some of the people who have commented in the room are missing the big picture when it comes to electric vehicles. First of all, you have to recognize that while you are paying more for your car payments, you won't be buying very much gas for your daily commute. Even if gas is only selling for the recent price of $2.80 a gallon, if you live 20 miles from your workplace then you will save $800 a year on gas over a car that gets an efficient 38mpg. if you compare it to a more average car that only gets 20mpg, it works out to be $1600 a year just for your commute. Now, if you add in the $2250 you will be saving in income tax, that works out to almost $10,000 over the average car loan. So really it costs about the same as a Prius and less than a Ford Escape hybrid. Like solar panels, you have to pay upfront.

No! I will stick with my diesel VW and the conversion I installed that allows me to run it on waste veggie oil that I get FREE from restauraunts! I can go as far as 6000 miles between fill ups of diesel! The waste fryer oil? I get it for free!!!. Who can argue with FREE FUEL? 45+ MPG... On RECYCLED french fry greese! This is a true HYBRID!!!

This all sounds kewla nd all.Really..it does.I'm all for going green and saving gas.But, how about riding a.....................motorcycle?

Hey SteveinThurmont. How much does it cost you to reprocess the 'free' vegetable oil into usable fuel? Saw someone on local news recently making same claim, but said he had to filter it, heat oil for two days to get water out, then rock salt to get more water out, then additives. Not quite free.

I like the looks of the volt and I really like the idea. What bothers me is that people who live in an apartment do not have the means to recharge the vehicle overnight. It seems like the makers of these new 'better for the environment' cars cater to home-owners.

I still say that pneumatic motors is still the best past/future tech we will see. It just needs the freedom from the major energy companies that have us under their strangle hold to be produced.

Also look into the safety bumpers tech that has been suppressed:
http://dmr-gutters.com/history.htm#1969

I wonder if GM would have started on this project back in the 70's when we first started having gas crunch problems, If they would have a snowballs chance of producing a decent car by 2010.